Dynamically operated micro- and nano-electromechanical (MEMS and NEMS) devices may be utilized for applications in various areas of engineering due to their small size, low fabrication cost, low energy consumption, unique performance and suitability for integration into complex functional engineering systems. Inertial micromechanical sensors such as accelerometers and angular rate sensors (i.e. micro gyros) are among the most intensively investigated dynamically operated micro devices, and continue to attract attention of researchers and developers of MEMS-based products. This is due to huge potential of integration of micro gyroscopes in various fields such as the automotive, aerospace, defense, as well as biomedical and consumer electronics.
Historically first and still most accurate mechanical gyroscopes are stabilized platform devices consisting of a gimballed spinning body. The angular rate is detected by measuring the suspension gimbal tilting angle, which is proportional to the product of the angular momentum of the spinning disk and of the angular rate to be measured.